The 9th Solidarity Craft Market, organized by the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santurtzi to benefit the Order of Hospitallers' health center in New Kru Town, Monrovia (Liberia), was inaugurated on March 8th with the presence of the Bishop of Bilbao, Mario Iceta. The inauguration coincides annually with the celebration of March 8th, the feast of Saint John of God, and since then, 10,000 euros have been raised.
The bishop, who celebrated Mass and the sacrament of the anointing of the sick prior to the inauguration of the Flea Market, was accompanied by Brother JosĂ© Luis MartĂn, superior of the Community of Brothers of Saint John of God in the Basque Country; Ana Meyer, coordinator of development cooperation projects for Juan Ciudad NGO; Eugenio Alonso, the organization's delegate in the Basque Country; and Dr. Maika Palacios, managing director of the Santurtzi hospital.
Medicines and healthcare for Africa
As Maika Palacios pointed out, "The celebration of this charity craft market, once again, reflects our commitment to helping those most in need. Every euro raised from the sale of these handcrafted items, selflessly donated by generous supporters, is used in Monrovia to provide medicine, vaccines, healthcare, and even fuel to power the generators that often need to operate to provide electricity to the health center."
As she explained, âThe New Kru Town Health Center is very familiar with the implementation of this market. In fact, with the aid we sent following the recent Ebola crisis, the center's management sent us a letter, on behalf of the staff, to thank the entire community of friends of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santurtzi for their efforts and generosity in organizing the solidarity craft market. This support has been especially necessary to restart their healthcare facilities, which closed and were dismantled during the health crisis. We must not forget that several members of the Hospitaller Order, as well as collaborators and staff, died from this virus, giving their lives to help those most in need.â
The director of the health center expressed her gratitude for the "important work" carried out by the volunteers and the Friends of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santurtzi Network, which currently includes more than 725 people.
Solidarity work
For his part, the Bishop of Bilbao, Monsignor Iceta, emphasized that "we have been holding this Solidarity Artisan Market at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santurtzi for several years now, where, with so much enthusiasm, many people want to contribute their grain of sand and help the most disadvantaged. And, in addition to putting their heart into it, they also contribute all their skills and all their art." As he noted at the market's opening, "I am glad that people are sensitive to the needs of other places, with many needs and shortcomings, and that they dedicate many hours and a lot of their own time to giving to others."
âThis day, the day of Saint John of God,â continued the Bishop of Bilbao, âof this spectacular saint, who dedicated his life to the poorest, most disadvantaged, and sick, serves as an example of dedication for us to continue helping those most in need.â
Committed
Ana Meyer, coordinator of development cooperation projects for Juan Ciudad NGO, asserted that these types of initiatives "are an example for other hospitals that wish to establish bonds of solidarity in impoverished countries where the Order is present." The relationship that the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santurtzi has maintained with the New Kru Town clinic for the past nine years "has grown stronger over time, and this has been especially noticeable in the last two years, when the clinic has faced many difficulties." The aid arriving from the Bilbao hospital has not been interrupted, and "this has been greatly appreciated, both by those responsible for the Liberian clinic and by the staff, who, in some way, have felt they were not alone." This is how Brother Peter Lansana Dawoh expressed it in his letter from last February, "in which he thanks the Santurtzi hospital for its gesture of support, which this year came at a time of particular need."
Solidarity Craft Market
In keeping with this market's usual tradition, the initiative emphasizes its distinctly artisanal character, with works handmade for the occasion. It offers, at affordable prices, more than 1,300 works, including stuffed animals, cross-stitch and oil paintings, brooches, rings, bracelets, candles and handmade soaps, and various works in patchwork, scrapbooking and period, baby clothes - with hats, booties, jackets and skirts -, scarves and hats, decorated glass plates, boxes and items worked in wood, stationery and bookbinding materials and a long etcetera.
The market offers everything from works by renowned artists at affordable prices to handmade works by, for example, a 90-year-old man with arthritic hands. Material and symbolic value come together at this market, always at affordable prices.
It is located in the auditorium of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santurtzi (Avda. Murrieta, 70), within the new Services building, and will remain open until the end of the month or until supplies run out.
The museum is free to visit and will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Source: photos and NP Docor ComunicaciĂłn â SJD Santurzi Hospital
